The present invention relates to fuel dispensing nozzles, and more particularly, to an improved fuel dispensing nozzle having breakaway features to protect the fuel dispensing system during "driveaway". The "driveaway" problem is a term used in the art to describe the problem of gasoline consumers mistakenly driving away from a gas pump with the fuel dispensing nozzle within the inlet pipe to the gas tank of their automobile.
Typically, fuel dispensing nozzles have a substantially gun shaped configuration having an outlet tube or spout that is readily insertable into an automobile gas tank and a trigger for selectively dispensing fuel through the nozzle assembly. The fuel dispensing nozzle is coupled to a fuel dispensing hose which is in turn coupled to a fuel dispenser (i.e. gas pump). The present invention is designed to protect the fuel dispensing system during "driveaway".
A first generation cure for the "driveaway" problem was to provide a breakaway type valve within the fuel dispensing hose, so that when an automobile drives away with the dispensing nozzle within the inlet pipe of the automobile, the hose broke down at the breakaway valve and no damage was done to the automobile or gas pump. The gasoline vendor saved his pump, but lost a valuable nozzle as well as the expensive distribution hose. The breakaway valve was configured so that at least the pump end of the distribution hose would immediately be sealed at the breakaway valve so that the excess fuel in the section of the hose between the break point and gas pump did not leak out as the car drove away. Furthermore, if a valve is provided in the hose to prevent fuel flow out of the hose between the nozzle assembly and break point, it would cost more than the benefit derived since it would be lost with each breakaway. This system is also inadequate because too much of the mechanical portion of the gasoline pump (i.e., part of the distribution hose and the entire nozzle assembly) was lost with each driveaway, and this resulted in undue expense to the end user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,023 (Monticup Jr. et al.) teaches a gasoline nozzle with emergency shut-off valve. This reference discloses a gasoline nozzle with a breakaway outlet portion and an emergency shut-off mechanism. Specifically, Monticup Jr. et al. discloses a breakaway nut that couples the fluid outlet tube to the nozzle body. This breakaway nut includes a weak spot so that upon application of the breaking force, the fluid outlet tube separates from the nozzle body. This arrangement requires the nozzle body to increase in size because an additional part not required by the present invention is required. Furthermore, this arrangement must result in different breakaway strengths in varying directions. Although the reference does not disclose in what direction this breakaway feature is most suited, it appears that the breakaway feature would break most easily when a force perpendicular to the axial direction of fluid flow is exerted.
None of the prior art arrangements satisfies the need for a gasoline nozzle assembly, wherein the gasoline nozzle includes breakaway features so that breakaway occurs at predetermined forces in all directions, and allowing a maximal amount of the gasoline nozzle assembly to be saved, and also preventing damage to the remaining gasoline system, or the consumer's automobile.